Game On

Hunt #1: Partridge or Quail

As much about shooting as hunting, these often patrician outings are a good introduction to hunting overall. Typically, the fields have already been seeded with fowl that go airborne when flushed by dogs, so you're basically taking aim and trying for the cleanest shot. And it's social—you walk, you talk, you fire off a few rounds, you break for lunch.

_Pictured: Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in _Wedding Crashers

Photo: Courtesy of Beretta

2/21

The Gun: Beretta Silver Pigeon

A break-action shotgun is an elegant firearm and should be the foundation of any collection. The over/under barrels are standard (trust us: side-by-side is an artifact, a movie prop), and for a walking hunt like partridge or quail, you want a lighter 20-gauge that's easier to carry. Beretta's Silver Pigeon is the gold standard.

The Jacket: Beretta

A shooting jacket should be two things: roomy (cut around the arms so you can quickly raise your gun and with pockets big enough for both fresh ammo and spent cartridges) and tailored (you should be able to wear it to drinks after the hunt). On those counts, this one from Beretta is two for two (let's hope you're as on-target with that Beretta 20-gauge).

The Boot: Le Chameau Chasseur hunting boot

This natural latex boot from Le Chameau manages to be both waterproof and wearable. How? A supple leather lining provides some much-appreciated breathing room between your feet and that impermeable rubber.

The Trousers: Red Hills Briar Pants

You're going to be walking in a field: You need field pants. These have a thick layer of canvas on the thighs to protect you from thorns and briars—you don't want a prickly plant distracting you from taking your shot. Oh, and it's as relevant here as elsewhere: no pleats.

The Gloves: Barbour, Club Interchasse

Try Barbour's leather glove for the sharpshooter look, or a less menacing fleece from Eurochasse if you don't want to scare the children. Both come equipped with a finger slot to help you pull the trigger without pulling a Cheney.

The eyewear: HiDefSpex

Shooting glasses—they don't just look cool, they actually help sharpen your vision. This is very useful with quail, which fly and scatter as quickly as a Roman candle, and male partridge, which—clever bastards—are the color of fallen leaves.

Hunt #2: Duck or Goose

Hunting duck or goose calls for more commitment. For one thing, you'll need access to a blind, which means either owning property or belonging to a hunting club. And, of course, you need to be ready to spend all day waiting—in near silence and ankle-high muck—for the waterfowl to arc overhead before taking that perfect shot.

_Pictured: A duck hunt in Bernardo Bertolucci's _1900

Photo: Courtesy of Benelli

9/21

The Gun: Benelli M2 Field 12-gauge

A break-action shotgun is a worthy option, but some prefer a semiautomatic such as this 28-inch-barrel Benelli. There's little recoil and movement, so you can take your three shots (or whatever the legal limit is where you are) in a row without needing to realign your aim.

The Jacket: Eddie Bauer Wad Expedition Cloth Saddle Coat

It will be wet, it will be chilly, it probably will rain: You need a water-resistant shell on a duck hunt. Camouflage isn't really necessary—the fallen-leaf brown of this piece will hide you plenty—and the deep pockets are big enough for a copious supply of 12-gauge shells.

The Boots: LaCrosse Alpha Lite Side-Zip

A duck hunt means spending the day around ponds and wetlands—the dog is going to fetch the birds, but you're still going to get wet. You want a waterproof boot with a lining warm enough to keep you comfortable while spending hours in seeping mud.

The Pants: Columbia Game Stalker

For pants, think waterproof. You want to be able to sit on a damp bench for a few hours without, to use a scientific term, freezing your ass. Columbia's Game Stalkers are waterproof and breathable, so you'll be able to sit down comfortably between opportunities to man up.

The Hat: L.L. Bean Insulated Lighted Hunting Hat

No matter how much time and love you put into your hair, the fact is, you'll need to wear a hat. This one's built-in LED lights make it that rare piece of gear—perfect for both duck hunting and reading in bed.

The Gun Case: Billy Reid

Anytime you take your gun off-property it needs to be in a closed case—that's the law. The Alabama-based designer Billy Reid is a devoted hunter (and a decent shot). This leather shotgun case is typical Reid style—rugged, timeless, and luxurious (but not obnoxiously so).

Hunt #3: Deer

A deer hunt isn't for the halfhearted (or, to be honest, for the rookie). You sit in total silence in a deer stand high in a tree (some buy premade deer stands that look like delu folding chairs; others nail a plank on a branch and sit up there on an overturned bucket), waiting for an animal to wander by. Aside from good aim, your most important weapon is the element of surprise. If they catch a glimpse of you, they're gone.

_Pictured: Robert De Niro in _The Deer Hunter

Photo: Courtesy of Cabelas

16/21

The Bow: Diamond Archery Razor Edge

Deer-hunting seasons regulate what weapon you can use: Some states and counties allow breach-loading rifles or shotguns with slugs; others, only cumbersome muzzle-loaders. But most have long bow-hunting seasons, which means that if you pick up one of these, you can hunt over the course of months instead of just weeks (or in some counties, a weekend). It takes some getting used to, but an arrow is just as deadly as a bullet.

The Jacket: Woolrich Camwoolflage hunting coat

Deer have extremely sharp hearing, which is why you want a waterproof jacket with a muted surface of wool or fleece—the last thing you want is to scare off your prey just by raising your arm. And the Woolrich's insulated pockets will come in handy, since a glove made for shooting isn't always the warmest.

The Boot: Irish Setter Shadow Trek 826

The Field Shirt: Field & Stream SLB shirt

If you're lucky—sorry, we mean skilled—enough to get a deer, there will be blood. This cotton work shirt from the new Field & Stream line will help ensure you look respectable once you've peeled off the blood-stained layers for that celebratory beer. (Whether you let it be known, a few beers later, that SLB stands for "strong like bull" is your call entirely.)

The Hat: Filson wool hunting cap

Don't fear the earflaps—they keep you warm when you spend a day in a deer stand, and, just as important, the camouflage helps mask your face. Seriously, one glimpse of your ruggedly handsome profile and a deer will bolt.

The Knife: Buck 151

This knife is a hunting classic. It's strong and slim, and the angle of the blade is designed to slice open an animal's sternum while the flat heel keeps you from accidentally slicing into the stomach. A Buck 151 isn't just a workhorse, it's a membership card: If you own one, you hunt. (And if all this talk of sternums and stomachs grosses you out, you don't.)

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